The German Cultural Garden is one of 36 gardens that make up the Cleveland Cultural Gardens and, like the rest of the gardens, it is both a celebration of cultural and a memorial to important cultural figures. As I wander though the cultural gardens, I always like to think about what was happening in the world at the time that a particular garden was created. The German Cultural Garden was dedicated on June 2, 1929, according to the Cleveland Historical Society, the United States was hurtling toward the end of the Roaring 20’s and toward a financial cliff that would result in the Great Depression. The Influenza Epidemic would kill approximately 200,000 worldwide. And in Germany, Holocaust victim Anne Frank was born.
The financial collapse of Wall Street led to the rise of Nazism as the US recalled loans which caused the German economy to collapse, leading to widespread unemployment and poverty and ultimately the collapse of German democracy. The Nazis benefited from the collapse of the Germany democracy, which ultimately led to Hitler becoming the leader of Germany and to the atrocities of the Holocaust. However, the future wasn’t known on that bright June day in 1929 when the German population of Cleveland gathered with pride to dedicate their cultural garden. Germans first came to Cleveland in the 1800s and were one of the largest ethic groups in the city by the early 1900s.
In June 2029, Cleveland like the rest of the United States, was feeling prosperous as there was no inkling of the financial troubles to come. However, despite the financial prosperity, the city was still feeling the effects of the May 15, 1929 Cleveland Clinic Fire which killed 123 people. In happier news, the city was looking forward to the National Air Races, which were first held in Cleveland in 1929.
In designing their cultural garden, the Germans of Cleveland chose to memorialize several famous Germans including, not unexpectedly, composers Beethoven and Bach. Ludwig von Beethoven, was a composer born in 1770 who is famed for his symphonies as well as composing while deaf. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in 1685 and composed both religious and secular music. In addition to celebrating these musical icons, the German Cultural Garden also memorializes Father Friedrich Jahn who is designed modern gymnastic apparatuses including the balance beam and the parallel bars. He is also credited with founding calisthenics.
The German Cultural Gardens also celebrate philosophers Goethe and Schiller. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, born in 1749, was a German playwright, novelist, and philosopher who wrote widely on topics ranging from the law to science. Friedrich Schiller was a peer of Goethe’s who was born in 1759 and was similarly a novelist, playwright, and philosopher. Goethe and Schiller cofounded the Weimer Theater and collaborated on Xenien, a collection of short satirical poems.
Resources:
Cleveland Historical Society Page on the German Cultural Garden